Assembly speaker’s law firm has made millions since he took power. Critics cry foul.

April 25, 2024

Business is booming for New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin.

An attorney by profession, Coughlin was a low-key state lawmaker with a solo law practice and a handful of municipal clients in the years before he ascended to the third most powerful position in the Statehouse in 2018.

“If you think that his being part of the firm has no impact on the fact that they’re getting this business, then I guess it doesn’t matter,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a professor at Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. “That seems a little unlikely.”

Others cast it as the typical give-and-take of political life and note that Coughlin’s partners are well regarded.

“If they’re competent at what they do, towns are going to hire somebody, right?” asked Marc Pfeiffer, another professor at the Bloustein School. “And if you’re buying services from somebody, you want to maximize the services you’re going to get. Why shouldn’t I have a law firm that has influence?”

NJ.com, April 25, 2024

Recent Posts

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon We return to our regularly scheduled EJB Talks this week with Bob Gordon, a Senior Policy Fellow who joined the Bloustein School earlier this year. Dean Shapiro asks Bob, a former New Jersey legislator and BPU...

Bhuyan Co-Authors New ABCD UrbanSat Study

Linking neuroimaging and mental health data from the ABCD Study to UrbanSat measurements of macro environmental factors Abstract Although numerous studies over the past decade have highlighted the influence of environmental factors on mental health, globally...

Listokin, Hughes, Edwards New Book: Rutgers Then and Now

Rutgers Then and Now Explores Transformation of Historic College Avenue Campus Over the Centuries See images from the book in the original post on Rutgers Today The book hitting shelves soon after the university’s charter day is the work of three longtime...

NJSPL Blog: SNAP Websites’ Chatbot Services

IMPACT-NJ is working to promote language equity in public-sector chatbots, with a focus on English and Spanish to improve accessibility for New Jersey's diverse population. As part of this initiative, the team conducted an audit of state-level SNAP websites, examining...

SRTS Report: Bicycle and Pedestrian Involved Crashes in NJ

Bicycle and Pedestrian Involved Crashes in New Jersey: A Closer Look at Crashes Involving Children and Youth Pedestrians and cyclists face a higher risk of severe injury or death in crashes compared to motorists. In New Jersey, there were nearly 6,000 crashes that...

Upcoming Events

Event Series DEIB

Bloustein DEIB Committee Holiday Toy Drive

Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

The Bloustein School Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee invites you to participate in a Holiday Toy Drive benefitting the Harmony Family Success Center. Donate new, unwrapped toys for kids […]